Hundreds of Muslims prayed in front of Rome’s Colosseum on Friday in protest at the closure of unofficial mosques, a report by Anadolu Agency said.

“They called on city authorities to protect their religious rights and demanded legal status for prayer rooms in a country where only a small number of mosques are officially registered,” the report said.

It quoted Francesco Terri, a spokesman for the Lazio Muslim Association, as saying that the community wanted urgent legal regulation to allow Italy’s 1.6 million Muslims to worship at officially recognised mosques.

•Photo by Anadolu Agency shows protesting Muslims praying in front of Rome’s Colosseum on Friday.

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